I Tried the Jumbo Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Muffin Recipe, and It’s Deliciously Over-the-Top
Dough: 200g whole milk, 410g bread flour, 45g sugar, 5g instant yeast, 3g kosher salt, 5 tbsp room temp butter, 1 large egg + 1 yolk
Blueberry Filling: 200g frozen blueberries, 85g sugar, 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tbsp corn starch, 1/2 tbsp water
Do you ever dig yourself into a hole with a recipe? Recently, I’ve been struggling with making cinnamon rolls, specifically getting the outcome to turn out just right. For whatever reason, I either mess up a step along the way, or forget something entirely — which ultimately takes away from the final product of what should be a deliciously warm and fluffy snack.
In my experience, baking can be either very easy or very frustrating, and cinnamon rolls have me going through the wringer each and every time. My relationship with freshly baked cinnamon rolls is slowly becoming bittersweet due to my inability to get the recipe right, and that’s just not OK with me. So when I came across Kim, aka @cookim_mama on Instagram, and her recipe for blueberry cinnamon rolls, redemption was already on my mind as I saw an opportunity to right my wrongs once and for all. I wasn’t going to let my problems from the past get in my way; instead, I was going to go into this with a fresh mind and a sharp attention to detail. After all, what could go wrong?
Get the recipe: Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
How to Make Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
Start the night before by preparing the dough. In a bowl with a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, combine whole milk, bread flour, sugar, instant yeast, kosher salt, and both a large egg and an egg yolk. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes, until the dough has come together. Add room-temperature butter and continue to knead for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until completely smooth. Form the dough into a ball and let it rise for an hour before transferring it into the refrigerator to proof overnight.
In the morning, place a small pot over medium heat and combine frozen blueberries, sugar, juice from half of a lemon, zest of 1 whole lemon, and cinnamon together. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until the juices start to release from the blueberries. Add cornstarch and water, continuing to cook for another 5 to 8 minutes. Once the jam has thickened, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool. It will thicken further during the cooling process.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a 20×18-inch rectangle. Spread the blueberry jam over the dough, making sure to spread it evenly and all the way to the edges on each side. When ready, start at the short end of the dough and tightly roll it into a log. Cut the log into six even sections and place them into a lightly greased, jumbo muffin pan. Before baking, cover the cinnamon rolls up and let them rise for another 30 minutes to an hour. Preheat your oven to 350°F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove and serve with your icing of choice.
My Honest Opinion of Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
I will never speak badly of a freshly baked cinnamon roll, and this recipe is yet another fine example of why this pastry is one of my all-time favorites. The addition of a homemade blueberry spread from scratch is what sends the recipe over the top for me, and the subtle hint of cinnamon still being present did not go unnoticed. In Kim’s video, she braided her cinnamon rolls before baking, making them look like an immaculate piece of art. She did mention, though, that this technique turned out to be very messy. So I opted for the traditional roll method in order to save myself some frustration, and was still pleasantly surprised with how they turned out after baking inside of the muffin tins.
I would recommend this recipe to anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of cinnamon rolls due to its straightforward nature and fairly easy and approachable prep work. Take my word for it, practice makes perfect, and while I have messed up quite a few cinnamon roll attempts, I believe this has been my best outcome yet. And I have to thank Kim for an excellent recipe to help get me here.
3 Tips for Making Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
Take it easy on the spread. While the recipe calls for 200 grams of blueberries to make the spread, I found that if it doesn’t thicken to the texture of a jam, it can be a bit much and get messy when rolling the dough. Apply in a thin layer and try to avoid it clumping up in some areas.
Flash freeze your spread if needed. If your blueberry spread needs to thicken a little faster, once finished on the stovetop and after it has had a chance to cool a little, you can flash freeze it in the freezer for 10-minute intervals until it has reached its desired texture.
Start the process the night before. My biggest mistake in the past has been rushing the dough. Take Kim’s advice and start the night before, so that the dough can proof overnight in the refrigerator. The result will be fluffier cinnamon rolls, more flavor, and a perfectly golden-brown crust.
Get the recipe: Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
